Askew’s to hold food drives in Salmon Arm

Askew’s locations in Salmon Arm will be partnering with local food bank providers May 1 and 2 with a food drive, but first, they will kick off the event by donating $1,000 in gift cards to both food drives.

“Giving back and responding to the needs in our community has always been part of the Askew’s mandate and so with food banks being hardest hid right now, we were happy to team up with one of our suppliers to donate 2,000 pounds of food to our local food banks last month,” the company, which also serves Sicamous and Armstrong, said.

“Over the past four months, this partnership has contributed more than 6,000 pounds of food.”

Askew’s Downtown and Uptown location in Salmon Arm will be collecting food for Second Harvest, the Safe Society and the Salvation Army with its food drives on May 1 and 2, respectively.

The company said as one of the few remaining independent grocers in the grips of a rapid consolidation, Askew’s Foods remains committed to its 300 employees and the communities in which it operates.

“Askew’s Foods plays a vital role in food sovereignty through its commitment to local food producers, and works constantly to bring to its customers quality food at competitive prices.”

The family business first opened during the great depression and is now, like the rest of the world, is facing a global crisis brought on by COVID-19.

“The impact of the pandemic on the supply chain, rapidly changing customer needs and the measures implemented for social distancing to mitigate the risks of the pandemic,” the company said. “Askew’s is relying on strong community partnerships and dedicated staff.”

In the fight against the novel coronavirus, Askew’s operations manager Dave Wallace and store managers have implemented several protocols to protect members of the public and staff.

Plexi-glass has been installed at cash registers and increased sanitization is in place for all Askew’s locations.

“A big thank you to our customers who realize it’s not business as usual right now and are being respectful of our hard-working frontline staff as well as the COVID-19 protocols.”

Delivery and curbside pickup are available and the morning hours are scheduled for senior shopping.

Askew’s has been doing its best to keep shelves stock amid the pandemic but limits may still be in effect for highly sought after items such as eggs, flour, rice and toilet paper.

“We are continuously making changes to our operations to meet emerging challenges, listening to our customers and doing our best every day to operate a business in a way that protects the safety of our colleagues and customers,” said Wallace.

Vernon’s Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery has kept all Askew’s locations with sanitizer until regular suppliers were able to restock their own supply.